Description
Moist carrot cake bars blend classic spices with cream cheese frosting for a delightful dessert. Homemade warmth and sweet comfort invite you to savor each delectable bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 eggs
- 8 oz (226 g) finely-grated fresh carrots
- ¾ cup (180 ml) avocado oil
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) packed brown sugar
- 1 ⅔ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (60 g) chopped nuts
- ¼ cup (40 g) raisins (optional)
- 8 oz (226 g) low-fat cream cheese, softened
- 3 cups (360 g) sifted powdered sugar
- 1 ½ tsps ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 tbsps (30 g) butter, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch ground cloves
Instructions
- Preheat Preparations: Calibrate the oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly spray a 9×9-inch (23×23 centimeter) baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Wet Ingredient Fusion: Whisk vegetable oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until thoroughly blended, then integrate eggs and vanilla extract, creating a smooth, homogeneous liquid base.
- Dry Ingredient Coordination: Sift together all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves to ensure even distribution.
- Batter Construction: Gently fold dry ingredients into wet mixture, incorporating grated carrots and chopped walnuts or raisins, mixing until just combined to maintain optimal texture.
- Baking Process: Spread batter evenly in prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, verifying doneness by inserting a toothpick that emerges clean from the center.
- Cooling Interval: Allow cake to cool completely on a wire rack at room temperature for 45-60 minutes, ensuring stable structural integrity.
- Frosting Fabrication: Beat cream cheese, unsalted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth, gradually sifting powdered sugar to create a silky, spreadable consistency.
- Final Assembly: Generously apply cream cheese frosting across the cooled cake using an offset spatula, then slice into square bars for serving or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Notes
- Prevent Overmixing: Gently fold dry and wet ingredients to maintain a tender, light texture without developing tough gluten strands.
- Moisture Magic: Freshly grated carrots add natural sweetness and keep the bars incredibly moist, so avoid using pre-shredded or packaged carrots.
- Toothpick Test Technique: Check cake doneness by inserting a clean toothpick into the center – no raw batter means perfectly baked bars.
- Cooling Crucial: Allow bars to cool completely before frosting to prevent melting and ensure a smooth, pristine cream cheese topping.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 23 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg